Combination captive closure and pouring tube



Nov. 1, 1966 G. T. TRACY COMBINATION CAP'I'IVE CLOSURE AND POURING TUBEFiled Feb. 8, 1965 INVENTOR. GERALD 7.' TRACY United States Patent3,282,476 COMBINATION CAPTIVE CLOSURE AND POURING TUBE Gerald T. Tracy,Clarendon Hills, Ill., assignor to National Can Corporation, Chicago,Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 8, 1%5, Ser. No. 431,785 6Claims. (Cl. 222-484) The present invention relates to a can closure,and particularly to a combination cap and pouring tube assembly which isdesigned for use with an ordinary tin can. The invention also provides acombination cap and pouring tube assembly which additionally provides areclosable cap, an air vent, and a tamper-proof feature to protect theintegrity of the container and contents lbefore sale thereof.

There are presently on the market a large variety of products which havegreatly diverse handling requirements, and which nonetheless have manyhandling and storage requirements in common. Thus, for example, theordinary tin can, which is an extremely common commodity, has a greatnumber of advantages, including those of being able to provide, at avery reasonable cost, an air-tight seal, light-tightness, excellentstrength, relative chemical inertness, and ease of packing, storing, andhandling. Accordingly, tin cans are greatly preferred for many productswhich must withstand relatively rugged handling and shipment over greatdistances or relatively long periods of storage.

There are likewise a number of products which, although ideally suitedfor storage, protection, and transport in tin cans, are not ideallysuited to be dispensed therefrom in an ordinary manner, that is, bypouring the contents from a cut or fracture in the top end thereof.

For example, a product such as automotive or aircraft brake fluid, orlike hydraulic fluid, is ideally stored and shipped in tin cans, but isnot always most desirably dispensed therefrom, because, when use is madeof such brake fluids and like hydraulic fluids, it is of extreme andoften critical importance that such fluids or their ultimate containers,such as hydraulic cylinders, be kept clean and free of impurities andcontamination during dispensing thereof.

In addition, brake fluid, such as that which is ordinarily sold inservice stations and the like, is not usually required for use by theconsumer in predictable or evenly measured quantities, inasmuch as it isnormally added to a reserve or master cylinder upon demand, to replenishleakage or other loss, for example, and is not changed at regularintervals and supplied in specified and evenly measured quantities, asis motor oil, for example.

In addition, brake fluid is often supplied to reserve or mastercylinders which are inaccessibly located, particularly on older modelcars and on larger trucks, and other vehicles, such as aircraft, etc.

Furthermore, when a service station or line attendant desires to addbrake fluid to a vehicle, it is desirable that the pouring container notcontact the ordinarily dirty and contaminated outside surfacessurrounding the cylinder cap, with the likelihood of dislodging suchundesirable matter into the brake system, entailing consequent risk ofmalfunction or ultimate failure of the hydraulic system.

It is also desirable that brake fluid and like hydraulic fluids bedispensed in a relatively small but smooth stream, so that the amountthereof may be relatively carefully regulated.

It is also desirable in dispensing fluids of this type that thedispenser thereof include a closure which will not be readily lost, andthat the dispensing device be relatively simple and compact so as toavoid being unwieldy 2 and clumsy when sought to be manipulated in closequarters.

Accordingly, an ideal container for brake fluids and like hydraulicfluids is a container which has all the advantages of economy andsimplicity of the tin can, but which further includes, consistently withsuch 'advantages, a captive closure which will not be lost, whichaffords a tight seal, and preferably a tamper-proof feature or initialseal, and which closure, in use, presents a low profile to facilitatestoring and stacking of a plurality of containers having such closures.Additionally, the combination can and closure unit desirably provides apouring tube or spout of at least moderate length, and of a generalconfiguration such that the tube will reach locations which arerelatively inaccessible to a cone top can, for example. Moreover, thecombination can and closure is designed so as to be easily manipulatedin confined quarters, to allow pouring of a smooth liquid streamtherefrom, and to allow ready resealing between uses, but the cost ofthe entire combination can and closure unit ,is low enough to allowdiscarding after use. Such a closure may also readily be permanentlyinserted in a can end by the use of existing equipment.

The present invention therefore provides a novel and simple combinationcaptive closure and pouring spout unit especially adapted for use with atin can containing brake fluid and likehydraulic fluids, and has anumber of advantages, including those referred to above, and otherswhich are inherent in the invention. These and other advantages of thepresent invention, including the aforesaid inherent advantages, willbecome more apparent when considered in conjunction with the descriptionof the preferred embodiments of the invention, as referred to in thespecification and claims herein, and as shown in the drawings in whichlike numerals represent corresponding parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the combination closure and spout unit ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the closure and spout unit of thepresent invention, taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1 andshowing a front view, of the combination closure of the presentinvention, in its closed position of use on top of a can;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a modified formof the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the upper portion of a can andthe closure unit in one position of use.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is showngenerally in FIG. 1 a combination captive closure and pouring spout unit20, including four principal elements, namely a base element 22, a webelement 24, a cap element 26, and a pouring tube 28. The unit 20 isdesigned to be inserted in a can end 30.

A beveled or tapered surface 29 is included on the lower end of the baseelement 22, to facilitate insertion of the base element 22 into the canend 30. Downward movement of the base element 22 into the can end 30 islimited by the lower stop element 32, Which comprises a ring or bead.Above this stop element 32 is a cap retainer groove 34 in the form of aring. Defining the upper surface of this cut 34 are a lower outersea-ling surface 36 and an upper sealing surface 38. These surfaces areadapted to receive complementary mating surfaces on the cap element 26,in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter.

A further cap seal feature is provided in this embodiment of the presentinvention in the form of an upper sealing groove 40, which includes anaxially outer top surface 42. A removable initial or factory seal 44 inthe form of an integral plastic cover is shown, as in FIG. 2,

to be provided in this embodiment of the combination unit 20. This seal44 is adapted to be readily removed so as to provide access to thecontents of the can, and, upon removal thereof, a smooth cylindricalcentral bore 46 is made accessible so that the pouring spout unit 28 maybe received therein. The seal 44 may be much thinner than that shown inFIG. 2 for example, if desired. The central bore 46 may include a stopring 48 or like member therein to prevent undue downward movement of thelower end 50 of the pouring spout 28.

In addition to the above elements, the base unit 22 also includes a venthole 52 disposed near an edge portion thereof. This vent hole 52communicates with the lower portion of the central bore 46, as shown inFIG. 2.

A second principal element of the combination unit 20 is the web element24, which is disposed between, and serves to connect, the base element22 and the cap element 26. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, this web element24 is desirably relatively long, thin, and flexible, in order to allowthe cap element 26 to stay clear of the Opening 46 in use, and to allowthe end 50 of the spout 28 to be readily inserted in the opening 46 whendesired.

The cap element 26 is designed to sealingly engage the base element atthe top portions thereof, to provide a liquid and vapor seal, and at thelower portions thereof, to mechanically hold the sealing surface engagedwith one another. Therefore, surfaces complementary to those provided onthe base member 24 are provided in the cap unit 26, namely, a top seal54; a cylindrical inner surface 56, terminating in a beveled edge 58;an. inner, lower projection 60, to fit in the sealing groove 40; anouter groove 62; an a downwardly projecting flange 64, terminating in aninwardly directed beveled edge 66. The lower beveled edge 66 provides,in use, a wedging action in the cap retainer groove 34, thus serving tourge the cap 26 tightly intoengagement with the base 22.

In addition, the cap element 26 includes a lifting tab 68, and astiffening rib 70 therefor, to aid in removal of the cap 26.Additionally, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cap 26 includes anoffset web 72 which serves to locate the pouring spout 28 and fixedlyattach it to the cap 26.

In the use of the combination captive closure and spout unit, the can orlike container having the combination unit 20 placed in the can end 30is packaged in the closed position, such as that shown in FIG. 3,wherein the cap unit 25 cover the base 22 and the pouring tube 30 liesin a fiat position close to the can end 30 with the tube 28 extendingabout equally to the front and rear. Thus, as sold, shipped, and stored,the closure unit has a low profile, but all the parts are fixedlyattached to the can.

When it is desired to use the contents of the container, the cap 26 isopened, such as to a position such as that shown in FIG. 2, and thefactory seal 44 is removed therefrom. If this seal is in the form of avery thin membrane, which it may be, depending on the type of productused, and need merely be pierced and not entirely removed. After theseal 44 is removed, the inner or lower end 50 of the pouring tube 28 isinserted into the central bore 46 and pushed downwardly until itcontacts the stop ring 48. This position of use is illustrated in FIG.5. Thereupon, the container is suited for use in pouring a small butsteady stream of the contents thereof int-o desired location, which may,as stated above, be relatively cramp-ed or confined quarters. It will benoted that the air passage 52 is constructed and arranged so as not tobe sealed off by the insertion of the tube 28 into the bore 46.

When the dispensing operation is completed, the tube 28 is removed fromthe bore 46 and the cap 26 is replaced over the base 22. The beveledsurfaces 58 help locate the cap in replacing it, and a plurality ofsealing surfaces provide-d enable the cap to develop a tight me- Q.chanical sealing action which renders the cap relative impervious toliquid or vapor loss.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4, whereinthe pouring tube 28 is disposed perpendicularly to the strap 24.

In another embodiment of the invention, particularly one similar to thatshown in FIG. 4, the attachment of the tube 28 to the closure unit maybe by means of heat sealing it to the web 24 rather than fastening it tothe cap 26 by means of the web 72 shown in FIG. 1. In this manner, thetube 28 may be kept captively attached to the tap as long as this isdesired, but tube 28 may also be more readily removed if it is merelyheat healed or otherwise removably attached in use to the web or strap24.

The exact length of the tube 28 is not critical, although for liquidwith relatively high surface tensions, a relatively longer length oftubing is desired to increase the effective height or head above theliquid body to facilitate smooth pouring from the container.

The length of the tube 28 is normally limited to the approximatediameter of the can end, but this is not a strict requirement of theinvention.

The materials which are most advantageously used in construction of thecombination unit of the present invention are plastics, such as forexample a low density polyethylene, or an ethyl vinyl lacryla-te. If thetube 28 is made separately and designed to be removably attached to theunit, it may be made from nylon or other like plastic material differingfirom the materials of the other :por tions of the unit. Although thesematerials are not critical, their use is preferred because 'of economy.The exact plastics to be used are indicated in some cases by thechemical inertness or resistance desired depending on the contents ofthe container.

It will thus be seen that the present invention, as described above andas shown in the drawings, provides a safe, economical, and desirablecombination captive closure and pouring tube having desirable advantagesand characteristics including those hereinabove pointed out and otherswhich are inherent in the invention. Certain modifications and changeswill be apparent to those skilled in the art and I contemplate that suchmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combination captive closure and pouring spout unit for a tin can,comprising, in combination,

(a) a base member, including an axially oriented relatively large liquidpassage disposed centrally thereof, and a relatively smaller air ventpassage therein, said base member further including can end-receivingmeans, and a plurality of upper sealing surfaces adapted to sealinglyreceive a cap member containing complementary sealing surfaces,

(b) a flexible strap member attached to said base member,

(c) a cap member attached to said strap member, said cap memberincluding means for sealing said air passage and said liquid passage andhaving sealing surfaces complementary to said upper sealing surfaces onsaid base member, and, attached to said cap member,

(d) a liquid pouring tube member adapted to be removably received insaid central opening in said base member.

2. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said pouring tube isattached to said strap member and disposed transversely thereof.

3. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said pouring tube isremovably attached to said cap member.

4. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 which additionally includesa rupturable seal member disposed over the top of said relatively largeliquid passage.

5. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 in which all of said memberscomprise a stiff but resilient thermoplastic material.

6. A combination can and captive closure and pouring spout unitcomprising, in combination, a closure and pouring spout unit as definedin claim 1 and, fixedly attached thereto in liquid-tight relation, a tincan having at least one end unit permanently seamed thereto, said endunit containing said closure and pouring spout unit.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,874,8822/1959 Sethne et al. 222543 5 3,117,701 1/1964 Stull 222543 FOREIGNPATENTS 128,316 7/ 1948 Australia.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. CHARLES R. CARTER, Examiner.

K. N. LEIMER, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COMBINATION CAPTIVE CLOSURE AND POURING SPOUT UNIT FOR A TIN CAN,COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) A BASE MEMBER, INCLUDING AN AXIALLYORIENTED RELATIVELY LARGE LIQUID PASSAGE DISPOSED CENTRALLY THEREOF, ANDA RELATIVELY SMALLER AIR VENT PASSAGE THEREIN, SAID BASE MEMBER FURTHERINCLUDING CAN END-RECEIVING MEANS, AND A PLURALITY OF UPPER SEALINGSURFACES ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY RECEIVE A CAP MEMBER CONTAININGCOMPLEMENTARY SEALING SURFACES, (B) A FLEXIBLE STRAP MEMBER ATTACHED TOSAID BASE MEMBER, (C) A CAP MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID STRAP MEMBER, SAIDCAP MEMBER INCLUDING MEANS FOR SEALING SAID AIR